Machinery

from Glass News May 2021

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STOCKED MACHINERY FROM HAFFNER MURAT

Award-winning machinery experts Haffner Murat Ltd has confirmed their popular SBA-2 and SBA-4 machining centres are now available from stock with rapid delivery into fabricators.

Dave Thomas, Managing Director at Haffner Murat, explains: “Due to the completion of our new state-of-the-art purpose-built factory in Istanbul, Turkey, we have rapidly increased our manufacturing output. This has resulted in two of our most popular machining centres now being available from stock, which supports the growing demand from customers looking to bring high-quality automation into their businesses.”

The SBA-2 and SBA-4 machines are the stalwarts of Haffner Murat’s expanding machine portfolio with features and developments purposely designed to support fabricators’ businesses at every level. The machines are available with routing and sawing stations that can be mixed and matched to meet precise individual requirements. Every element of the machines has been designed to improve production quality and accuracy and allows fabricators to scale up or down their output as demand dictates. Dave said: “To put the demand for automated manufacturing into context, we have been consistently selling automated packages since our return to work following the first lockdown. This not only shows the demand for our machines but demonstrates how fabricators are investing in their businesses for the immediate and longer-term. Having two of our most popular machines available from stock, will certainly help support the growing demand for our products.” Fabricators looking to invest in machine automation have also been boosted by the Government’s new superdeduction initiative. From 1st April 2021 until 31st March 2023, companies investing in qualifying new plant and machinery will be able to claim a 130% super-deduction capital allowance, cutting tax bills by up to 25p for every £1.00 invested. Dave said: “With the launch of the new Government initiative, there has never been a better time to invest in machinery. Since this proposal was announced, we have already witnessed a further surge of interest as fabricators look to invest.”

The SBA-2 and SBA-4 machining centres have been setting the standard in automation machinery for many years. With the machines now being available from stock and the incentive to invest from the Government, there has never been a better time for fabricators to capitalise on the benefits Haffner’s automation can bring. Tel: 01785 222421 www.haffnermurat.com

FIRST EMMEGI R6I MACHINE INSTALLED IN UK

Just a few months after the installation of the first Emmegi 4m Comet R4I 5 axis CNC machine in the UK, Emmegi (UK) has now also completed the installation of the first, larger Comet R6I version.

That machine has gone into Charles Henshaw & Sons, the Edinburgh-based façade specialists, who manufacture both aluminium and steel curtain walling and integrated façades. Like so many fabricators, Henshaw is experiencing an increase in demand on commercial projects across the UK, so has made the investment in order to expand its manufacturing capabilities. Three years ago, Henshaw had invested in a heavy duty 10.5m Emmegi Satellite XT 5-axis machining centre to cut and prep oversized curtain walling profiles and bespoke elements; and has been impressed by the quality and durability of that machine.

The mobile gantry on the Satellite enables different workpieces to be machined at the same time in two separate work areas, or one end loaded and unloaded while the machine is operating at the other. The Comet R6I offers many of the same opportunities for production efficiencies as the Satellite XT, with single or double zone modes which allow for machining either a single 6m bar length or multiple shorter lengths. The I in the R6I model means that the machine offers ‘Independent’ positioning of the servo-controlled vices. That means when the electrospindle is operating, the machine can be automatically setting up the vices ready for machining in the next area and this obviously has the potential to save significant amounts of operator time. The Comet R6I can machine bar lengths up to 6m, machining from -15° to 90° on the horizontal axis and a full 360° forwards and backwards on the vertical axis across all the profile faces. It has a 12-piece tool magazine on the gantry that can hold a blade with a maximum diameter of 250mm for cutting and notching large sections and a guaranteed fast changeover time. It also has a mobile worktable for easy loading and unloading which increases the machinable section on the vertical axis as well.

The R6I at Henshaw has also been installed with a fully soundproofed cabinet to minimise noise levels in the factory. Graham Chung, Henshaw Managing Director, commented: “We chose the Emmegi Comet R6I as a natural upgrade on our current CNC machine and it is fully delivering on our criteria to advance our manufacturing capabilities. Although there are other CNC machines similar to the Comet R6I on the market, we decided to go with Emmegi as we have had a long and prosperous relationship with Emmegi UK. This further investment, only 3 years after the installation of the Emmegi Satellite CNC, is a reflection on our expanding order book and the increase in demand for our products and services on a UK nationwide basis.”

Ian Latimer, Emmegi UK’s Managing Director, said demand for machining centres has remained strong throughout the pandemic. He commented: “There’s certainly no lack of confidence in the market. We’re seeing fabricators right across the UK making really significant investments in machinery – partly to keep pace with demand and cope with the limitations imposed by social distancing in their factories, but largely because they want to optimise their efficiency in the way that Henshaw has done ready for when the market returns to something like normal.” More details at: https://www.emmegi.com/ en/home and https://henshaw.uk.com/

WHY THERE’S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO INVEST IN FABRICATION AUTOMATION

As new government tax incentives are announced, Dave Thomas, Managing Director at award-winning machinery specialists Haffner Murat, says the case for automation has never been stronger.

New rules introduced by the government mean that you could cut your tax bill by up to 25p for every £1 you invest in machinery for your business. Investment in machinery is always a wise move, but there really never has been a better time to do it.

The government is calling its new initiative a super-deduction. From 1st April 2021 until 31st March 2023, you will be able to claim a 130% super-deduction capital allowance on qualifying plant and machinery investments and a 50% first-year allowance for qualifying special rate assets.1 This is a great deal for businesses, but there are good reasons for the scheme. It’s very easy to think that you can’t afford to invest in machinery. Many businesses have thought just that – investment in machinery by the manufacturing sector declined after the 2008 financial crisis. But the truth is you can’t afford not to.

I’ve always said it, but investment in plant and machinery makes a massive difference to productivity. In fact, there’s a clear correlation between the manufacturing sector’s decline in investment in machinery since 2008 and our slower rate of productivity growth compared to other countries.2 As a result, the average French worker produces more by the end of Thursday than their UK counterpart can in a full week.3

The importance and value of machinery investment is something more and more businesses are now recognising. We have seen strong growth in sales of our automated packages since the return to work following the first lockdown. And enquiries have surged following the super-deduction announcement. This not only shows the demand for our machines but demonstrates how fabricators are prioritising investment in their businesses for the immediate and longer term. Two of our most popular machines are our SBA-2 PVC-U Profile Machining Centre and SBA-4 PVC-U Profile Machining Centre. Both machines are available with routing and sawing stations that can be mixed and matched to meet precise individual requirements. Every element of the machines has been designed to improve production quality and accuracy and allows you to scale your output up or down as demand dictates.

Alongside these machines, we have an ever-expanding range of Haffner Murat machines, which offer innovative and highquality engineered machinery at some of the most competitive industry prices. We are also the agents for FOM and Italmac aluminium fabrication machinery. To support our customers and keep pace with growing demand, we’ve recently made significant investment in our business. We’ve just opened a new 37,000 sqm purpose-built factory in Istanbul, Turkey to manufacture our machinery. Here in the UK, we doubled the size of our headquarters in 2019 and are just about to add a further 1,990 sqm extension. Part of this expansion will be a new showroom that I know fabricators will find very useful. When we speak about the benefits of automation, they often sound too good to be true. Our showroom will mean we can demonstrate more of our machines more often so fabricators can see for themselves the difference they can make. Our investments will help us keep lead times to a minimum and allow us to supply from stock more often. It means we can get businesses up and running with their new machinery sooner rather than later, so they can start to reap the rewards more quickly. Our expansion is exciting news because it shows that confidence is returning to the industry and fabricators are getting serious about productivity and growth. And as a business we have a strong track record in supporting our customers in achieving their ambitions. We’re passionate about the potential of automation but we’re equally passionate about serving our customers well. We work closely with you to make sure you’re making the right investment for your business. It’s why many of our customers return to us time and again when they’re ready to upgrade their machinery or expand their operations. So, if you’re keen to boost the productivity of your business, investment in machinery is the way to do it. And there really never has been a better time. There are considerable tax incentives and – when you choose Haffner Murat – shorter lead times that deliver rapid transformation.